My Holiday Gift Guide: For Home

This picture of Wyatt from last Christmas has me all sorts of nostalgic – where does the time go? We are traveling for two weeks this Christmas, so we won’t be getting our home dressed up for the holidays (sad face). Decorating for the holidays is usually one of my very favorite traditions – though toddler and tree are a pairing that I’m not sad to avoid. I’ve pulled together a list of my top gift ideas for the home here – for the home chefs, the recent homebuyers, and the homebodies in your life. In case you missed it, My Holiday Gift Guide: For Him is linked here. Up next: my best ideas for babies & toddlers.

Soma is on a mission to improve life for everyone who drinks water, with sustainable, plant-based filters that make water healthy and delicious, beautiful carafes and pitchers, and the convenient Filters by Mail service. The Soma Pitcher is made of shatter-proof, BPA-free plastic. Designed to look stunning on your table and fit perfectly in your fridge, the pitcher holds 10-cups (80 oz) of crisp, refreshing filtered water. Easy-to-fill and featuring Soma’s unique filter made of coconut shell carbon and plant-based casing that removes chlorine and improves taste. And for every Soma filter purchased, clean drinking water is donated to people in need through Soma’s nonprofit partner, charity: water. Raise your glass with the Soma water filter.

Erin Gleeson made her dream a reality when she left New York City and moved into a tiny cabin in a California forest in order to be closer to nature. The natural beauty of her surroundings and the abundance of local produce serve as the inspiration for The Forest Feast, based on her popular blog. Most of the book’s 100 wholly vegetarian recipes call for only three or four ingredients and require very few steps, resulting in dishes that are fresh, wholesome, delicious, and stunning. Among the delightful recipes are eggplant tacos with brie and cilantro, rosemary shortbread, and blackberry negroni. Vibrant photographs, complemented by Erin’s own fanciful watercolor illustrations and hand lettering, showcase

What it is: A handcrafted, stone essential oil diffuser that doubles as a stunningly simple piece of home decor. If you want to know more… Essential oil diffusers are a way to create your own custom home aromas without the synthetic chemicals of traditional room fresheners or candles. This stone diffuser is made with a hand-milled, ceramic cover and contains an easy-to-clean water basin made of BPA-free, high-grade plastic. It uses ultrasonic technology to diffuse essential oils without heating them, and can fill up to a 550 square foot space with scent. What else you need to know: Vitruvi believes in living simply and naturally and creating premium-quality essential oils and diffusers. They invite you to experiment and create your own bespoke aromas with this stone diffuser.

SULFITE FILTRATION Sulfites are artificial chemicals added to wine as a preservative and are no longer needed once the bottle is opened. Each filter purifies 1 Standard (750 Milliliter) bottle of wine. Üllo purifies wine using a food grade polymer to selectively remove sulfites, while allowing other compounds in wine to flow through unaffected. Through Selective Sulfite Capture, sulfites are filtered to reveal more of the wine’s natural flavors and aromas. TO AIR, OR NOT TO AIR? Because some wines prefer to be aerated, Üllo was designed to purify and aerate wine in the same pour. With a simple twist, you can opt to aerate your wine if desired. The purified wine flows Ullo in a visually appealing helical shape allowing the wine to breathe. BY THE GLASS, OR BY THE BOTTLE. The Ullo purifier works comfortably on top of a variety of wine glasses, as well as the beautifully crafted Ullo carafe and decanter. When serving, Ullo can be returned to its base designed to capture any unruly drips. Üllo warrants that all our products will be free from defects in materials and workmanship for a period of 6 (six) months from the date of purchase.

Cravings: Hungry for More takes us further into Chrissy’s kitchen . . . and life. It’s a life of pancakes that remind you of blueberry pie, eating onion dip with your glam squad, banana bread that breaks the internet, and a little something called Pad Thai Carbonara. After two years of parenthood, falling in love with different flavors, and relearning the healing power of comfort food, this book is like Chrissy’s new edible diary: recipes for quick-as-a-snap meals; recipes for lighter, brighter, healthier-ish living; and recipes that, well, are gonna put you to bed, holding your belly. And it will have you hungry for more.

Variable Speed Control: Ten variable speeds allow you to refine every texture with culinary precision, from the smoothest purées to the heartiest soups Pulse Feature: Layer coarse chops over smooth purées for heartier recipes, such as chunky salsas or thick vegetable soups Low-Profile 64-ounce Container: Perfect for family meals and entertaining, while fitting comfortably under most kitchen cabinets. Cord: 6 feet Hardened Stainless-Steel Blades: Our aircraft-grade stainless steel blades are designed to handle the toughest ingredients, so from the first blend to the last, you get the same quality results Self-Cleaning: With a drop of dish soap and warm water, your Vitamix machine can clean itself in 30 to 60 seconds

Ratio 8 Coffee Maker – I have been coveting this elegant coffee maker for years – it makes a statement on your countertop, and receives rave reviews from coffee connoisseurs.

Rifle Paper Meal Planner – Tom and I try to take the stress out of cooking with weekly meal planning – this adorable meal planner comes with an easy tear-off shopping list.

Soma Water Carafe – We’ve had this stylish carafe for years and love that it uses sustainable, plant-based filters and it’s just perfect for everyday or entertaining. 50% off through Sunday with code shareSOMA.

Coyuchi Organic Towels – We recently traded up for these luscious organic towels from Coyuchi, a local San Francisco-based company, and they put a smile on my face every morning. $50 off orders of $250+.

Dyson V6 Absolute Vacuum(we bought ours at Lowe’s, which is offering the best price on this model) – Tom vacuums daily (thank my lucky stars!) and he is delighted with this upgrade. This is the lower end model in Dyson’s range, but it’s perfect for our 3-bedroom apartment (upgrade for a larger home to get more capacity and battery life).

Vitruvi Diffuser – I wrote about my recent foray into aromatherapy for stress relief and relaxation here – you’ll be hooked too once you give Vitruvi’s stone diffuser a try. 30% off sitewide.

Re’me.di.um Candles – My good friend and stylish homemaker @TheBlondesEyeView introduced me to this LA-based eco-friendly candle maker with the most divine and beautifully packaged scents (try Peony & Rose). They even make a candle subscription for those so inclined.

Joule Sous Vide – The fancy French terminology may make it sound intimidating, but sous vide is the technique amateur and expert chefs alike should embrace for foolproof results every. single. time.

Ullo Wine Purifier – Wine without a hangover? Those in the know claim that this wine purifier removes sulfites and thus eliminates morning-after headaches. This is at the top of my wishlist this year! 20% off on Amazon

Parachute Linen Sheet Set – Linen sheets are all the rage these days (all the premiere bedding companies are now offering a set). We will definitely be upgrading to Parachute’s premium set, which rise to the top of the pack in reviews. 20% off sitewide.

Vitamix Blender– A super indulgent gift for the smoothie fanatic. We use ours – a generous wedding gift – almost daily (Tom’s go-to: The TB12 Blueberry-Banana shake). 20% off on Amazon.

Heath Ceramics Serving Bowl – Heath is a San Francisco institution, and it’s our go-to for beautiful, sophisticated housewarming gifts like this versatile oversized serving bowl, which comes in a dozen color combinations.

Samsung Smart Home Hub– My brother/tech guru says this is the key to make your home into a smart home, so you can control light switches, bulbs, outlets, garage door openers, sprinklers, etc. by voice (via Amazon Alexa or Google Home) or your smartphone.